Apparatus for molding pulp bodies



-W. H. HATTON APPARATUS FOR MOLDING PULP BODIES Jan. 1s, 193s.

Filed June 18, 19,36

Patented Jan. 18, 1938 Parr-:rrr OFFICE l APPARA'TUS FOIt MOLDING PULP BODIES william mamon, Gardner, Mass.

Application June 18, 1936, Serial No. 85,999

a' claims'. My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for the vmanufacture of articles molded from pulpous brous material, its prime objects beingto permit faster production a low cost and to eiecteven, strainless removal of the article without use of complicated apparatus or incorporation of stiiening members in the article, and to prevent distortion due to handling incident to its being racked for drying, thereby permitting faster, less delicate handling with safety,

and rapid, low cost production.

ing its removal from the mold and during the early stages oi drying, however. the freshly molded article is quite liable to deformation. Even a slight disturbance of forms may produce lines of weakness which are prone to fail later when the completed article is subjected to normal stresses of use or its shape may be altered beyond limits of tolerance. To obviate these and other faults it has been proposed even to embed reinforcing members in the article-an expense often unwarranted b y the market for the article and which would be unnecessary in a well made article in which the foregoing objections are overcome.

It has also been a problem to eect the removal of the article from its mold, evenly and rapidly. I attain these and other objects of invention by the embodiment of the principles and methods herein described, a preferred form of which is shown and described.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involvedin the embodiment of the invention as will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing. wherein l Figure 1 isa vertical cross section of a press and an article in course ofmanuiacture, in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan of the wire-mesh basket. Figure 3 is a detail of a modification of the datent and release means.

Various press machines may be utilized, but for the purpose of illustration there is shown a screw press mechanism of usual form, adapted to cooperate two dies upon the material to be' formed. It includes a lower die member Il) having a recess die face II from which a multiplicity of ducts I2 lead, discharging at the outer surfaces of the die block.

Standards or tie-bars I3 are anchored at the sides of the member I0 and support a cross bar I4 through which is engaged the screw I5 which is journalled in and connected to the upper die block I6 in such manner as to -protract and retract it relative to the lower die Ill. The upper die block I6 is formed with flanges I 'I to stiften and distribute strains over its top plate I8 and with a die face I9 formed to define the dimensions of the finished article in conjunction with the contours of the lower die face II.

A wire mesh basket 2|! is provided, shaped to contact the die face II of the lower die I0, having ametal band rim 2i supporting its upper edges, and to which rim are' attached resilient hook members 22. Said hook members 22 are preferably formed of sheet metal and are oset outwardly a distance immediately below the top of the basket, as at 23, extending thence upwardly from the rim of the basket a distance, their upper shank parts being extended perpendicularly to the plane of the top plate I8 as at 24. The

' upper end portions are then bent at 25 outwardly at a slight angle and are then bent sharply inward and downward at 26' and continued to a level below the bend 25, forming bills 26. The extremities of the bills are bent sharply outwardly forming a wear face 21 paralleling the top surface of the plate I and terminating adjacent the vertical portions of the hooks.

In the top plate I8 outside the die face portion there are formed apertures 28 aligned with respective hook members 22 in such manner that the inner edge of each aperture 28 impinges on the inclined face 26 of the hook 22 when the plate is lowered, thereby'forcing vit outwardly as the hook moves through the aperture 28. When the portion 21 passes the upper edge of the top plate It the hook springs inwardly in position to engage the face 21 of the hook against the top of appear, this means that the hook is outside the path of the molded article as it is removed from l the basket). l

The modication and improvement shown inj Figure 3 is designed to make the operation of the press more automatic. Strikes 29 are adjustably attached to the standards I3 adjacent the hook members 22. Each strike '29 comprises a clamping and supporting portion 30 adapted to be axed to the standard I3 and a nger or strike portion 3i placed in alignment with the inclined faces 26 `of the hooks 22. upper die has been raised a predetermined distance suitable to removal of the basket from the press, the iingers 3i engage the inclined faces 28 of the respective hooks 22, lpressing them outwardly and permitting the hooks to be thrust through the aperture 23, releasing the basket 20, which is then removed and with its content placed on a rack for drying, or otherwise treated.

The operation is as follows: The basket 2d is placed in the lower die and a measured quantity of pulp 2S placed therein after which the dies are operated to compact the pulp, forcing excess water out through the ducts i2, the hooks 22 moving through and past the top plate i8.l The dies are separated, the hooks 22 not immediately engaging, but permitting the upper die i6 to free itself from the molded article 29. Then the e@ dried in any familiar way.

When the I claim: 1. Apparatus for forming molded pulp articles comprising a water-passing die, a complementary die adapted to coact with the female die to form the plastic material, a basket structure conforming to the article to be formed set between the dies, means to move the dies into and out of cooperative relation, and meansron the basket and movable die constructed to coengage at initial open position of the dies whereby terminal relative movement of one die will move the basket and article irom the other die.

2. In a die press machine of the character described, including a movable press member, a movable article support in advance of the movable press member, a resilient hook thereon, said hook having a bill and an inclined faceuextending therefrom outwardly and obliquely with respect to the path of the movable press member, means on the movable press member to engage Y the inclined face on pressing movement of the movable press member to enter into operative relation thereto, said bill spaced from the last named means at forming position of the movable press member but' inthe path of said means whereby the basket will be lifted after `a. predetermined separation movement of the dies.

3. In the' structure of claim 2, a strike member outwardly of the movable press member in the direction of separating movement of the latter and positioned in line with the inclined face of said hook, near terminal separating position of the movable press member but in advance of said position, whereby the strike member will. engage the inclined face and move the hook into disengagine position by outwardmovement of said movable press member.

W HLW H. HA FIN. 

